Portable fire-escape.



(No Model.)

Patented m.- 20, 1.900; E. c. AKERS.

PORTABLE HRE ESCAPE.

(Application filed Oct. 1 0, 1899.

2 Shuts-Sheet l.

, EM 0%J (No ModeL) Patented Feb. 20, 1900, E. c. AKEBS..

PORTABLE FIRE ESCAPE.

(A umion filed Oct. 10, 1899.)

- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EARL C. AKERS, OF PORT HURON, MICHIGAN.

v PORTABLE FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 643,858, dated. February 20, 1900.

Application filed. October 10, 1899. Serial N01 733,188. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL O. AKERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Port Huron, in the county of St. Clair and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Fire-Escapes; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to portable fire-escapes, and the object is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and effective device for this purpose.

To this end the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the several elements of the device, as will be hereinafterinore fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings the same reference characters indicate the same parts of the device in the several figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of my improved fire-escape as it appears ready for use, the View being taken from the interior of the room or apartment. Fig. 2 shows the device in place at the window. Fig. 3 is an exterior view showing the device in use. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the brake mechanism.

As shown in Fig. 1, AA denote keepers, which are formed with sockets a a to receive the arms 1 1 of the parallel brackets 2 2, which are connected by the longitudinal brace or rod 3.

4 designates the crank-shaft, which is provided with a handle 5 and a spur gear-Wheel 6, meshing with a pinion 7 on the Windlassshaft 8 on which the life-line 9 is wound. The free end of this line terminates in a loop 10, which is covered by a piece of rubber tubing 12 to form a sling which is passed around the body under the armpits.

13 denotes the brake, and it consists of a metal strap, one end of which is formed into a loop 14, which is secured in any suitable manner to the crank-shaft, and its body portion is formed with an orifice 15, so that the other end of the strap may be passed around the Windlass-shaft and thence through this orifice, so as to snugly encompass the shaft, and the free end is fixed to the brake-lever 16, which is fulcrumed on the brace-rod. A cord 17 extends from the brake-lever to the ground, so that a person may lower himself, or the brake-lever may be manipulated by hand at the machine or by a person standing on the ground.

In Fig. 2 the device is secured in place at the window by means of the staples C C, so that it can be detached, if desired.

Instead of the crank-handle I can use a drum and spring on the crank-shaft, so that when a person has safely descended and the sling released the spring will automatically return the sling ready for another persons use.

The accompanying drawings show my invention in the best form now known to me but many changes in the details might be made within the skill of a good mechanic without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the claim at the end of this specification.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

The combination in a portable fire-escape, of the supporting-brackets, the connectingrods 3 and 4, the winding-shaft journaled in said brackets, the life-line attached to the winding-shaft, a brake-lever supported upon the rod 3, a brake-strap having one end hooked around the rod 4 and having its body portion passed around the winding-shaft,and its other end passed through an aperture in the body portion and connected to said brake-lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EARL O. AKERS.

Witnesses:

G. W. BLAoK, Ms. K. MCWHORTER. 

